Once My Mate, Always My Mate
Chapter 4- Something's Cooking

The room, as big as it is, felt rather small with so many egos in place.My father, Hunter, sat fuming and fighting with himself on whether ornot he should kill Aiden here and now. My mother sat next to my fatherand she was also angry... angry at the fact that I was doing somethingand she was not told about it beforehand.

Josey's chosen mate, our dearest vampire king stood next to my sister,cocky as ever as he enjoys the show before him. Although I am sure hewas sad to realize the body he wanted so bad had an owner and he wasstanding in this room, giving us a speech most couldn't care to hear...But I care.

I care enough to want him to heal and to be the same Aiden that I met,that I came to love but even my ego could not handle the rejectionfrom Xander and the fact that they, my two mates, were in agreement-that Xander should not be immortal. Do I want them at each other'sthroats? Sure, for sport but in real life I just want love. What I get fromXander is not the same as what I got from Aiden when he was notplotting and scheming behind my back. They each brought somethinginto my life that I wish not to live without... A life without the one thing Ineed from both of them is a life without breathing but we were now atodds.

This was supposed to be the time I get with Xander, to mend fencesthat I cut myself to sever the relationship I had with Xander but it turnsout that I cut nothing. This was the time to work on me for Xander'ssake and if Aiden has returned with more drama or twisted plans, thatwould hinder any ideas I had for myself and the man in my life.

Aiden, even with his sudden return had a piece of me with him and Icould feel it. It was not strong, it did not require me to jump over hoopsto go and retrieve it or replace myself next to him. I was barely consumedby him in any way and even though alarm bells were not ringing in myhead... I know something is wrong and I will need to get to the bottomof it.

"You know, for true mates, I thought you would both be jumping eachother's bones by now. No offense Alpha.” Cayden says out loud foreveryone in the room to hear, even though I know had he whispered itwould all be the same.

"Now that you have mentioned it..." Anthony responds while giving methe side-eye.

"Maybe they are just shy. I mean with everything that has happenedbetween them and with all of us, I would like to think my sister has alittle bit of self-control.” Josey tries to save me.

"No." A woman from the dream. One of the women that told me theywould work on Aiden was standing by the door in a very orange dressand messy hair but I would guess that might have been the style backin her day.

"That is not what this is. In our way to correct our mistake, like choosingmates and so forth... we removed the love bond from this mate bond."She says while looking at me.

"What are you talking about?" I ask and she walks into the room.

"You want them both but their animals could never share. They maywant to try it but we are wolves first and for that, Aiden would probablykill Xander in a few days and you would all have to forgive him becauseyou all would understand why he did it. Even weaker beings are just likethis and they may not be able to get away with it most of the time, it ismostly explained as I am doing so now. A man is but a man... That is allhe will ever be and that is all we should expect from him. With that said,Aiden is your mate in power and Xander is your mate in the heart." Shesays and My father gets to his feet once again, smoke almost comingout of his ears with that red face.

"And who are you to decide that for my daughter?" Hunter asks.

"I am your blood. Have your mate calm you down and don't you everforget that you are speaking to an elder.” The woman says to Hunter,who ignores her words.

“Look, I am not here to cause any trouble. I am just here to help mysister goddess if I can call her that to accept what has become of herlife now. Aiden still has some issues to comb through but one thing isclear, he will not stand in the way of you and Xander anymore.” Shesays and with that, she was gone.

I look at Aiden and back at Xander...

This was new but I was beginning to understand what was happeningbetween Aiden and me. I now know what was missing, the samedrowning of emotion that once had me going under every time Ilooked into his eyes. That hunger for him and the need to make himhappy... That was all gone and the only thing that seemed lacking wasthe respect I had for him before he went rogue and evil... The only thingI needed from him was the one thing I never thought I would need tofrom a man...

How quickly things change to accommodate my circumstances. Howsudden all this is... I grew up being forced to swallow down the need torespect and understand our one and most important rule... The sacredlaw and now it was squashed just for me... How do I even begin tomake sense of it? I read books and watch TV and I have seen charactersmarried off in search of power and convenience but this was way off.Aiden has been reduced to the help.